A US$10 million project promoting socio-economic status of poor and rural women can, regrettably, flounder if the government fails to abide by the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) loan conditionalities. According to the Department of Women’s Development (DWD), the project executing agency, the Bank wants the government to draft an Act to eliminate discriminatory provisions against women, and draft a national women’s commission Act and national Dalit commission Act besides providing permanent status to the women development officers. The project can be implemented after all the conditionalities governing the loan are met. Once this is done, the DWD can be free to execute the project in 15 districts under the ‘Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women’ project.

The rhetoric of all-inclusive governance will be meaningless if the problems of women and the minorities are not properly prioritised. Merely endorsing 33 per cent reservation is not an end to women’s woes. Only a change in mindset can help end various forms of discrimination and inequality in the society. A whole lot of international donors are willing to support Nepal’s reconstruction process. But prior to making any commitment, the donors want to ensure that the intended beneficiaries are not sidelined. In this transitional phase, the nation cannot afford to ignore or lose people-centric projects. As regards the general public, it is in no mood to tolerate lip service. Delivery of goods and services, that too, with utmost sincerity and efficiency is what they want.